Quick Escape to Portland, Maine

Truffle fries at DuckfatWe love Portland in the off-season to dine at the acclaimed restaurants that are hard to get reservations in summer and to walk our dog, Theo, on the beach of Cape Elizabeth at that pet-friendly gem of a resort, Inn by the Sea. Portland has been making innovative food for the past decade. Just ask our kids who plead with us to stop at Duckfat every time we pass through town just to have another taste of their crispy French fries dipped in truffle ketchup. Fore Street, which led the food revival in town, is consistently nominated by James Beard for Outstanding Restaurant in the national category. Other longtime favorites include Evo and Street & Co. Also check out the fantastic baked goods at Tandem Coffee and Bakery, the deli food at Rose Foods, and the microbrews at nearby Bissell Brothers Brewing Company.

Portland’s 10-Day Carnaval Maine is going on right now at the Eastern Promenade. The winter wonderland features live music, art installations, light shows, a rail jam competition by Sunday River, professional ice and snow sculptures, and Bites and Brews, where award-winning chefs and craft brewers come together to make made-in-Maine pairings. Families looking for kid-friendly activities during school vacation week can visit The L.L. Bean WinterKids Fun Zone where activities include a snowshoe obstacle course, Bean Boot toss, and more. In the evening, the event shifts to popular local and regional bands who will turn up the volume for the adults, like Scott McCreery on Saturday.

Quick Escape to Chicago

Deep Dish Pizza in ChicagoChicago has so many exciting cultural events happening in 2022 we don’t know where to begin. Let’s start with the acclaimed Steppenwolf Theatre, which in March presents the world premiere of King James, a play by ensemble member Rajiv Joseph that explores basketball star LeBron James’ impact on Cleveland through the eyes of two young sports fans. In April, comedian and storyteller Mike Birbiglia arrives for a four-week run of his new solo show, The Old Man and the Pool, collecting humorous (and serious) tales about life, death and a YMCA pool. May brings two blockbuster art openings, a retrospective of Chicago artist Nick Cave called “Forothremore,” which will bring the artist’s distinctive Soundsuits and an expansive installation of kinetic spinners to the Museum of Contemporary Art on May 14. Fans of post-Impressionist paintings will want to see the Art Institute’s new exhibition devoted to French artist Paul Cezanne, which goes on display May 15.

Stay just off Michigan Avenue, at the relatively new Virgin Chicago or wait until August to stay in the 3rd tallest building in town, a mere 101 stories tall, soon home to the St. Regis. Dine on sublime deep-dish pizza at the longtime family favorite, Lou Malnati’s, or splurge for a memorable meal at chef Grant Aschatz’s Alinea in Lincoln Park. In late summer, be on the lookout for Le Select on North Wells, the latest from Boka Restaurant Group, the company that’s worked with renowned chefs like Stephanie Izard at Girl & the Goat. They’re opening a French bistro with Daniel Rose at the helm. Rose will still run his other project, Le Coucou in New York, the 2017 James Beard winner for Best New Restaurant.

Quick Escape to Nashville

Bringles BBQ NashvilleLive music, fantastic dining, and an easy city to roam has helped pushed Nashville to the top of the wish list for many of our ActiveTravels members. Drop your bags off at the classic Hermitage or more modern Thompson Nashville, soon to be joined by a new Four Seasons come April, and then make your way to Country Music Hall of Fame or the National Museum of African American Music. Also plan a tour at the historic RCA Studio B or Hatch Show Print, where you can see decades’ worth of woodblock print posters for bands and performers.

We’re excited to check out Drusie & Darr at the Hermitage, opened by celebrated chef and restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten last month. Also new is Bringle’s Smoking Oasis, a serious BBQ joint by legendary pitmaster Carey Bringle. Walk off your meal at one of Nashville’s famed entertainment districts, where neon lights and music spill into the streets. Lower Broadway, SoBro and Printer’s Alley are brimming with bars like the Listening Room Café, where you can enjoy free live music. Round out your trip with an evening show at one of the iconic venues like the Grand Ole Opry House, the celebrated Ryman Auditorium, and the Bluebird Café, the launching pad for many Nashville musical greats.

Quick Escape to San Antonio

San Antonio RiverwalkSan Antonio might be home to the Alamo, but it’s the Riverwalk that lends the city its charm. Take the steps down to this soothing river, shaded by tall cypress, oaks, and willows and you feel transported to a tropical setting just below the busy downtown streets. But the reason I love San Antonio is the fantastic biking. Rent bikes from the Blue Star Bicycling Company at the Blue Star Arts Complex and pedal on the 10-mile-long bike trail called the Mission Reach. It’s not uncommon to find herons, egrets, families of ducks, and turtles lounging in the waters, and colorful wildflowers in full bloom. When the trail ends at Mission Road, you can turn right to visit Mission Concepcion or left to visit Mission San Jose. These early 18th-century Spanish colonial missions are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of a national historic park. I always bring my camera to poke around these impressive buildings and get great shots of the light and shadows reflecting off the walls.

But there’s so much more! Two world class art museums, San Antonio Museum of Art and the McNay, one of my favorite botanical gardens in the country, and that dining mecca, The Pearl, that I first described upon its debut in this Washington Post story. Home to the San Antonio branch of the Culinary Institute of America, award-winning restaurants, and a chic boutique hotel built from the remnants of the Pearl Brewery called Hotel Emma, the Pearl is my go-to neighborhood in town. The top restaurant here is Cured, but you better love meat and reserve in advance.

Quick Escape: Puerto Rico

Condado Ocean Club, Puerto RicoIf you need to escape the winter weather, Puerto Rico might be your best bet right now. We’ve been booking a lot of Puerto Rican travel these past 3 months. Why? They have some of the lowest COVID numbers in America and their vaccination rate is one of the highest. Puerto Rico requires no passport for Americans, but you will need your vaccination cards uploadhttps://www.fairmont.com/puerto-rico/ed on their declaration form. Also, Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and excluded from the CDC requirement to provide a negative COVID-19 test result to return to the mainland United States. Translation: You can’t get stuck there! Lastly, the many direct and affordable flights to Puerto Rico makes the island easily accessible from across America.

The properties on island we like are Condado Vanderbilt and their new sister property, Condado Ocean Club, Dorado Beach Ritz Carlton, St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Wyndham Rio Mar, and the Fairmont El San Juan Hotel. While there, you can take a walking tour of historic San Juan, hike to the waterfalls in the El Yunque Rainforest, and sea kayak amongst the shimmering waters of Bioluminescent Bay. Or simply sit on the beach with the latest Amor Towles novel and enjoy the 80-degree weather and days of sunshine. Please let ActiveTravels know your dates and we’ll be happy to check availability based on your budget.

The World is Your Oyster, Volume 5, Our Talk with Aaron Daker, Managing Director of Costa Rica Experts

Travel to Costa Rica with ActiveTravelsCosta Welcome to our fifth episode of The World is Your Oyster, our ActiveTravels web series where we look forward to introducing you to some of the wonderful people we are fortunate enough to work with in the travel industry. Today, we’re delighted to talk to Aaron Dakar, Managing Director and trip designer extraordinaire for Costa Rica Experts. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Aaron for almost a decade now as he personally has designed more than 100 trips for our clients headed to Costa Rica. And each trip seems to be better than the last!

Based on your interests, he custom designs itineraries and never ceases to surprise us with new resorts and exhilarating activities. In this episode, Aaron discusses how Costa Rica has fared during the pandemic and why the country continues to be a popular destination. You’ll want to watch to the very end, when Aaron discloses his favorite new lodging picks and little-known places to visit in this gorgeous and topographically diverse country. Thank you, Aaron, for participating in The World is Your Oyster!

Caribbean Destinations to Visit Now

Puerto Rico beachIf you truly need to get some warmth and Florida just doesn’t float your boat, we have the intel on where to go south to get thawed out from the cold and incessant snowfall this winter. Most of you now know that all travelers, even US citizens, need to provide a negative COVID test within 72 hours prior to boarding your flight home. This new CDC requirement, which began on January 26th, can be an obstacle and a nuisance that you may not want to deal with. Please note that since this rule was announced, many of the major hotel suppliers (Marriott, Hyatt, Melia, Velas, Aman, Belmond, Nayara, Iberostar and many, many more) in the Caribbean region have stepped up to offer their guests pre-travel testing. See the list of hotels participating here. If you are curious about all the rules and requirements for the various Caribbean countries, this article offers up-to-date information and is a daily tool we use to help our members plan their travel.

One warm-weather destination we highly recommend is Puerto Rico. Since Puerto Rico is part of the US, not only don’t you need to bring your passport, but the CDC rule of testing within 72 hours of your arrival back home does not apply. This makes for one less hassle on your warm weather getaway. There’s a lot to love about Puerto Rico from the fantastic lodgings available to their glorious beaches, opportunities for relaxation, adventure and exploration in their El Yunque Rainforest and their Bioluminescent Bay. We know the best food tours, surfing locales, wellness hotels and spots for your romantic rendezvous.

Let ActiveTravels know your available dates and we’ll help you pick a great Caribbean resort.

Medjet Adds Medical Transport for COVID-19 Patients

Medjet transport for COVID-19 patients Good news from Medjet, the industry leader in air medical transport for travelers. Starting October 19, Medjet members who fall ill from COVID-19, and become hospitalized while traveling in the contiguous United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, may now be transported to a home hospital of their choice. Medjet, like all other programs of its kind, had previously excluded active COVID infections from transport, and is the first to adjust its program to include it. Another wise security blanket to obtain if you plan on traveling in the foreseeable future.

Virtuoso Travel Week Highlights, Context Tours Seminars

We’re big fans of Context Tours, having taken excursions with them in Rome, Barcelona, and Madrid. Not only were the guides exceptionally knowledgeable, most trained as art and architectural historians, but several have been doing their exact same tour for over 20 years like Celia at the Vatican. Now that we can’t get to Europe, these guides are providing 90-minute seminars on their subjects for a cost of $36. It’s a wonderful way to help out these fantastic guides whose livelihood is greatly affected by the loss of American travel. Once travel opens up again, be on the lookout for new Context Tours in Belgium, Japan, Israel, and American cities like Charleston, Savannah, and Nashville.

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New England in a Nutshell Out Today!

New England GuidebookThanks for tuning in these past 3 weeks as I selected some of my favorite entries from my latest book, New England in a Nutshell. The book is out today and you can order at Amazon or one of the top independent bookstores in the country, Powell’s in Portland, Oregon. You can read about the book in Forbes, Global Traveler, Literary Traveler, and Burlington Free-Press, or tune in today to NBC Boston 10 News around 5 pm, where I’ll discuss great day trips around Boston. Please put it to good use and explore this wonderful part of the world!